Open mike 09/05/2025
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6:00 am, May 9th, 2025 - 32 comments
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US President Donald Trump’s cuts to scientific research create anxieties about the accessibility of research data. Scientists worldwide fear websites and data sets hosted in the United States will be deleted or decommissioned. While private ...5 hours ago - Government Shouldn’t Ignore Courts Over Voting Rights
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- Pay Equity Changes Bad For The Economy
The Coalition of Chaos has done it again, proving their knack for prioritising the wealthy over the workers. The Pay Equity Amendment Bill, rammed through Parliament under urgency, is a kick in the guts for low-waged women, and obliterating decades of progress on pay equity reform in New Zealand.Workplace Relations ...13 hours ago
- Luxon’s Ladies.
Sisters are doin' it for themselvesStandin' on their own two feetAnd ringin' on their own bellsSaid, sisters are doin' it for themselvesSongwriters: Annie Lennox / Dave Stewart.Did you ever fancy the idea of protesting? Of taking to the streets with your fellows and standing up to the system? Is there ...13 hours ago - Electricity inflation fears growing as Z Energy shuts Flick
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- Monday 12 May
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Poets, priests and politiciansHave words to thank for their positionsWords that scream for your submissionAnd no one's jamming their transmissionAnd when their eloquence escapes youTheir logic ties you up and rapes you!Songwriter: Sting. Read more ...2 days ago - A counter to drone swarms: high-power microwave weapons
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- Mother’s Day
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This week the government rammed through legislation under urgency to cancel all outstanding pay equity deals and make them impossible to get in future, balancing their books by stealing $17 billion from New Zealand women. It was an outrageous abuse of the democratic process, and since it passed, we've learned ...5 days ago
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Tēnā koutou katoa. Good morning. I read recently that one of the keys to success in life is to do the hard stuff first thing in the morning. ...12 hours ago - Release; Budget should not be paid for by working women
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The Government’s plans to limit the powers and scope of the Waitangi Tribunal is a disgrace. ...4 days ago - Tribunal review an attack on Te Tiriti o Waitangi
The Government’s plans to limit the powers and scope of the Waitangi Tribunal is a disgrace. ...4 days ago
- Release: Labour asks why Govt is silent on Gaza
Labour is asking the Government why it is silent on Israel’s deliberate use of starvation as a weapon of war in Gaza, saying New Zealand should be speaking out. ...4 days ago
- Release: Govt ignores the voices of survivors
Survivors of abuse in state care have a right to feel disappointed and sidelined by the Government. ...4 days ago
- Redress announcement leaves little justice for survivors
The Green Party is appalled by the Government’s decision to severely underfund financial compensation for survivors of abuse in state care. ...4 days ago
- Release: Bill launched to stop tobacco industry lobbying
Labour is launching a members’ bill to stop the Government from putting tobacco industry interests ahead of public health. ...5 days ago
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The Labour Party backs volunteer firefighters who are currently not covered by ACC for workplace disease and mental injury and is drafting policy to put this right when the party wins the election in 2026. ...5 days ago
- Wildlife law change a deep betrayal of public trust
The Green Party is appalled by the Government’s use of urgency to rewrite the Wildlife Act–without consultation, without an impact statement, and in direct response to a court ruling in favour of protecting wildlife. ...6 days ago
- Release: National cuts women’s pay
National has forced through a law change that will take money out of women’s pockets. ...6 days ago
- ‘Govt’s Pay Bill Entrenches Discrimination Against Women’ – Kemp
Te Pāti Māori stands in staunch and emotional opposition to the Government’s so-called Equal Pay Amendment Bill, calling it a calculated attack on working women and a cruel betrayal of the generations who have fought for pay equity in Aotearoa. “This bill doesn’t just undermine equal pay — it completely ...6 days ago
- Release: Fewer jobs and opportunities for Māori, again
In the last 12 months life has only got worse for Māori under Christopher Luxon’s Government. ...6 days ago
- Release: More than one in 10 Pacific people unemployed under National
There are more Pacific people unemployed as the rate increases to a staggering 10.8% under National. ...6 days ago
- Release: Unemployment remains high under National
Job losses remain stubbornly high under National, as their attack on jobs, wages, and women rages on. ...6 days ago
- Govt for the rich is failing the unemployed
The latest job market statistics show that unemployed people are being failed by a Government more focused on punishing the poor than creating jobs. ...6 days ago
- RSE Draft Erases Rainbow and Takatāpui Youth
Te Pāti Māori is demanding urgent changes to the draft Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) framework, calling it a dangerous step backwards for Takatāpui, trans, and rainbow rangatahi. “This draft erases Takatāpui voices, ignores whānau diversity, and delays consent education. It’s not just inadequate, it’s unbelievably unsafe” said Te Pāti ...1 week ago
- RSE Draft Erases Rainbow and Takatāpui Youth
Te Pāti Māori is demanding urgent changes to the draft Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) framework, calling it a dangerous step backwards for Takatāpui, trans, and rainbow rangatahi. “This draft erases Takatāpui voices, ignores whānau diversity, and delays consent education. It’s not just inadequate, it’s unbelievably unsafe” said Te Pāti ...1 week ago
- Release: Labour welcomes inquiry into school lunches
Labour welcomes the Auditor-General’s inquiry into the Government’s school lunches programme. ...1 week ago
- Release: Women will keep being paid less under National
This Government is taking the women’s movement backwards, ensuring women will continue to be paid less into the future. ...1 week ago
- Govt takes workplace equity efforts backwards
The Green Party has called out the Government’s latest attack on workers with the announcement that it is halting all pay equity claims. ...1 week ago
- Release: Questions over Erica Stanford’s personal email use
Erica Stanford has been misusing her personal email address to manage sensitive information relating to Budget and visa changes prior to their public release. ...1 week ago
- Greens launch Member’s Bill to close loophole allowing animal cruelty in imports
Today, Green Party MP Steve Abel has added a new Member’s Bill to the biscuit tin to ensure any product sold in New Zealand meets New Zealand’s animal welfare standards, even if it’s produced overseas. ...1 week ago
- Iwi Rights Under Attack in Government Treaty Clause Purge
Te Pāti Māori warns that the Government’s Treaty Clause Review represents the most severe erosion of iwi rights in modern legal history. “Luxon's Government is doing what the Treaty Principles Bill failed to do. They are removing every legal reference to Te Tiriti across health, housing, conservation, and child wellbeing ...1 week ago
- Release: Cuts to beds for seniors at Dunedin Hospital
After failing to be upfront about cuts to intensive care beds, it’s now becoming clear that other downgrades to Dunedin Hospital are being concealed by the Minister of Health. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Labour backs workers while Govt cuts jobs and protections
This May Day Labour is standing with workers to defend decent jobs and fair pay. ...2 weeks ago
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Two old and ageing ferries are going to have to work double time because of this Government’s failure to get a ferry deal. ...2 weeks ago
- Greens mark May Day with Green Jobs Guarantee
The Green Party has marked May Day with a pre-budget announcement in Tokoroa, detailing the party’s plan for a Green Jobs Guarantee. ...2 weeks ago
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- Twice the Impact, Half the Budget: Budget 25 Must Invest in Whakaata Māori
Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Broadcasting, Tākuta Ferris, and MP for Tāmaki Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, are demanding the Government significantly increase its investment in Whakaata Māori in Budget 2025. The call comes following the release of the network’s 2025 Social Value Report at an event today, attended by MP ...2 weeks ago
- Te Pāti Māori: Denying the Right to Vote is a Breach of Te Tiriti and Human Rights
The National Party’s announcement to reinstate a total ban on prisoner voting is a shameful step backwards. Denying the right to vote does not strengthen society — it weakens our democracy and breaches Te Tiriti o Waitangi. “Voting is not a privilege to be taken away — it is a ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Closure of North Shore Women’s Centre a huge loss
Today’s confirmed closure of the North Shore Women’s Centre after losing government funding is a huge loss for women in Auckland. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Simeon Brown hid Dunedin Hospital downgrade
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Taking my lunch break late and in town.
Going to congregate outside Suze Redmayne's electorate office in Feilding.
Fortunately I have a sympathetic supervisor and an agent understanding boss.
She has to be the most useless MP in Rangitikei's history. She hasn't even managed a single cattle rustling bill.
She's also never had the courage nor the grace to respond to any of the emails I've sent her.
Bruce Beetham did set a high bar.😉
Standing room only in a rainy Feilding day.
Great turnout.
And great speeches. Nat MP Suze Redmayne – Absent. Green MP Teanau Tuiono spoke about the "nasty" way the Equal Pay Amendment Bill was introduced to parliament, the "glee" on the faces of 'our' ACT MPs as the bill was voted on under urgency, and that "the ACT party tail is wagging the [willing?] National party dog."
STAND UP – FIGHT BACK!
For the MANY, not the moneyed.
He also mentioned the manner in which the house found out about the law.
Dropped right after question time. No time to research or analyze it.
His description of its introduction and intent is nasty.
Big shout out to Union boffins in Wellys who, at no notice, had a protest on Parliament steps 2 hours later.
C'mon Labour, where are the snappy phrases and sound bites. We need to know this mongrel legislation is going to be repealed immediately after the election.
One sign was “National Wahine Disaster”.
I'm going to stand outside Tim van der Molen's office in Matamata. I'm retired and a superannuitant, but I need to make a stand over the injustice of this rotten legislation – I have a sneaky suspicion that I may be a lone voice in the wilderness. Shame on Brooke van Velden and David Seymour and double shame on Christopher Luxon for just standing by and letting this happen.
Well done Jilly.
I was just thinking about a few of the ECEs I know. Unfortunately they won't be there. Unable to get the time off and can't afford the leave.
That's where folk like you come in. To make yr presence felt on their behalf.
Well done to you both. Sick, so emailing donating and so upset about this.
Dame Anne Salmond has written a fantastic article on where we are at.
https://newsroom.co.nz/2025/05/09/anne-salmond-she-wont-be-right-mate/
Yes, excellent piece.
Indeed, how would Brooke van Velden and her fellow Coalition Sisters (Nicola Willis, Erica Stanford, Louise Upston, Judith Collins, Penny Simmonds, Nicola Grigg, Nicole McKee, Karen Chhour, Casey Costello, and Jenny Marcroft) and the other female MPs of the coalition parties feel if they were paid 20% or so less than their male counterparts?
I wonder what the women mentioned in this article would say about Brooke’s sexist move?
https://www.parliament.nz/en/get-involved/features/parliament-becoming-more-family-friendly/
National party MPs of all genders have a history of climbing ladders then removing them for those who want to follow. It's in their DNA.
I’m more fascinated by the DNA of the people who vote for National, ACT, or NZF and continue to do so. In terms of Darwinian evolution, this behaviour must provide demonstrable survival advantages to them.
Or imaginary advantages? or an irrational belief that despite apparently voting against their own interests they will lift themselves into a different socio-economic class? I suspect many of us know people who fit into those categories.
Honestly, I'm not sure most people think about it that much. Would love to see some research on how well informed people are when they vote.
How the hell has this other shocker seemingly managed to fly below the radar?
In the 3-9 May issue of NZ Listener, Danyl McLauchlan tells how a bill was introduced to Parliament on 31 March to amend the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act.
The article is too long and complicated to summarise or quote from, but what this bill will achieve, if passed into law, is to retrospectively protect the ANZ and ASB banks from the legal consequences of charging excess fees. In effect (as a letter-writer in the following issue points out) the government proposes to intervene in a legal case to ensure victory for the defendants (those banks), who have doubtless been lobbying long and hard for just such an action.
/
Because once again the arseholes deliberately misled the electorate by hiding their intentions.
When did the Government start work to scale back the pay equity law, and why was that work kept secret?
Using information gleaned from interviews, redacted Government documents, and debate in Parliament, political reporter Glenn McConnell has pieced together a timeline of the pay equity reform.
It took less than two days for the Government to reveal its plan to limit pay equity claims, and then change the law.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/politics/360682026/when-government-started-work-limit-pay-equity-claims-and-why-public-wasnt-informed
Nikki Chamberlain is a Senior Lecturer (Torts, Complex Litigation & Family Property) at University of Auckland Law School
OPINION: There are certain principles in law that are sacrosanct. One of these is that the Government should not interfere with the independence of the courts and in particular, should not use its power to interfere with active litigation pending before the courts.
Alarmingly, National MP and Minister for Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Scott Simpson, has recently tabled a Bill in Parliament that runs afoul of these basic principles.
The Bill contains a retrospective law that would impact the rights of some 170,000 customers and their litigation funders currently taking a class action – that has been in train since 2021 – against two Australian-owned banks, ANZ Bank New Zealand Limited and ASB Bank Limited, and who reported profits of approximately $2.1 billion and $1.4 billion last year alone respectively (and, whose parent companies recorded profits of AUD$6.5 billion and AUD$9.5 billion respectively).
The reasons for tabling this Bill are not convincing and the collateral consequences are grave. Let me unpack this in detail – and, please bear with me as we are about to get slightly technical.
https://www.thepost.co.nz/business/360654387/alarm-sounded-over-proposed-law-change-benefiting-two-australian-banks
archivedotli
Of course the top end of town loves it.
On 31 March 2025, the Government introduced a package of bills that will effect major changes to New Zealand’s financial services landscape. In particular, the changes include material simplifications to the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act 2003 (CCCFA), which will offer relief to lenders and should address longstanding concerns about the complexity, compliance burden, and unintended consequences of previous reforms.
The changes will be broadly welcomed by lenders, with a shift toward a more pragmatic and proportionate regulatory framework. However, the package of reforms also introduces new risks to consider, particularly in relation to the expanded regulatory enforcement powers under the new oversight of the Financial Markets Authority (FMA).
https://www.bellgully.com/insights/cccfa-cofi-update-major-reforms-offer-simplification-and-a-few-new-challenges/
Astonishing dishonesty from these pricks.
/
@thetasalmon.bsky.social
Yep… “We planned this for two months, then deliberately avoided the proper process of expert assessment and public feedback and shoved it through in an afternoon, so no-one could stop us.” Not really “Urgent” then… was it. More “Anti-Democratic”… amirite?
https://bsky.app/profile/thetasalmon.bsky.social/post/3loosbfgvf22n
".. under the radar"
There was more than likely a distraction issue at the same time, eg Trump brain fart, tolling Turanga Te Aha proposal etc.
It does seem to be that the modus operandi of right wing women and men on achieving power is to do all that is possible to deny that very opportunity to others. It seems to be part of that type of character traits of greed, veneality, sneering arrogance, nastiness and strong sense of entitlement of a large portion of their ilk.
How are people supposed to know your better than them if you lift them up to be equal???
Profit is the leitmotif of Luxon’s Coalition and everything else must be subservient to this, e.g., the environment, workers, and the NZ science sector.
https://newsroom.co.nz/2025/05/08/dairy-dominates-science-panel-as-govt-milks-research-for-profit/
Luxon barely hides it:
https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/pm%E2%80%99s-science-council-set-direction-science
It’s impossible to escape the conclusion that this Council will take on the role of razor gang and cut, remove, and amputate everything and anything that does not give a clear line of low-risk profit to the bean counters in the Beehive.
The first steps have already been made at cutting “baseline or ‘fundamental’ research” (aka basic or blue-sky).
Peter Gluckman may want to repeat his words from 15 years ago:
https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/SC1010/S00035/gluckman-wider-roles-of-science-and-innovation.htm
But I suspect that it will fall on deaf ears.
Does capitalism hold up the world, like Atlas?
And then in plain sight commits a highway robbery until the few have the wealth of the many.
National once opposed R and D tax incentives.
Recently they dismissed many involved in research and told them to re-apply for jobs months later. Some left overseas to better paid jobs than available here (end of loyalty)
They re-organised research into a fewer number of amalgamated bodies (with less specialisation), so they could cut spending and employ a smaller number of research scientists (and not necessarily the best as they had overseas options).
That was a deliberate reduction of long term capability, which they try and sell as a new focus on profit to business. As a service to business at a lower cost to well to do tax payers, their voters.
In the end they betray all, in service to short term greed.
National in all areas, a danger to our nation state.
Quite simply, National has no interest [no pun] in building a better New Zealand and a better place for New Zealanders to live, they’re only interested in growing the economy, which is an output captured in a spreadsheet. This amoral focus is a hallmark of neo-liberal capitalism and pays only lip service to people and their sense of meaning and belonging and as such it is inhuman – nobody really cares about others, only about themselves. The unstoppable march of AI is the next step along this trajectory.
The Prime Minister made assurances last year, he has now broken, as to setting up a new agency for compensation to those in state care.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/560463/watch-live-no-new-compensation-scheme-for-abuse-survivors-more-funds-for-current-system
Some comment about the continuing perfidy of Luxon.
https://www.1news.co.nz/2025/05/09/budget-2025-774m-for-abuse-in-state-care-redress-system/
I fear the worst but all power to this guy and the search team.
And the weather is fine.
https://images-webcams.windy.com/public/76/1572407376/current/full/1572407376.jpg?token=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJ3ZWJjYW1faWQiOjE1NzI0MDczNzYsInVzZXJfdHlwZSI6MSwiYXZhaWxhYmxlX3NpemVzIjoidGVhc2VyYmcsaWNvbix0aHVtYm5haWwscHJldmlldyxub3JtYWwsZnVsbCxwYW5vcmFtYSIsImlhdCI6MTc0Njc1NTMyNywiZXhwIjoxNzQ2ODQxNzI3fQ.t7spuoO8f0TD72xl7zsK8HcMfoYPHkO1csU-mLr7Eq8
A light has been seen on a path, so some hope.
Can these pricks get any worse?
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/560498/government-announces-review-into-waitangi-tribunal-seymour-calls-it-
"Act supports the completion of full and final historic Treaty settlements as a pragmatic way to resolve past injustices, but the Waitangi Tribunal has gone well beyond its brief and has become increasingly activist.
"It's tried to become a source of authority in its own right and appears to regard itself as a parallel government that can intervene in the democratically elected government's policymaking process – like during the Treaty Principles Bill debate."
He said it was time to put the Tribunal "in its place".
Creepily like the Trumpoids statements.
Same song sheet?
The more we can promote archive.li the better.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/360684052/battle-control-nzme-over
“The battle for control of NZME’s board appears to be over, with former National MP and minister Stephen Joyce set to take up the role of board chair of the media company.”